I am just getting back to the blogs after my very intense experience of testifying before the above mentioned task force. It was emotionally draining to testify and also to support Cynthia Lefever (son is a wounded warrior with Traumatic Brain Injury) Stephanie Pelkey (husband came home from Iraq, was diagnosed with PTSD, couldn't get treatment and committeed suicide in their home) who also testified.
Afterward, I felt like I used to after working a medevac flight at Walter Reed, exhausted from listening so hard, processing difficult and even terrifying information, being supportive... so I kicked into "self-care mode" and I am just getting back to the diary.
Most important was the testimony of retired command sergeant major Thomas Adams :
:
A combat infantryman who led 4,000 Stryker soldiers through a bloody year in Iraq says the Army must do more to help its men and women cope with the harsh emotional realities of war.
For all their preparations for Iraq, Thomas Adams said the troops from his Fort Lewis Stryker brigade weren’t ready for the hurt of losing buddies, and of killing. And the retired command sergeant major said fear of being stigmatized as weak or unbalanced continues to keep many soldiers from seeking the help they need.
"We had all the new equipment training, all the generals came down and told us how good we were, sprinkled holy water on us. We were the best," Adams told the Department of Defense Mental Health Task Force, meeting Tuesday in Tacoma.
"But we had not one class. ... Not one professional came in and talked to us about what it was going to be like when we lose somebody for real."
Read the entire article from the Tacoma NewsTribune written by Michael Gilbert.
Michael Gilbert's blog goes into more detail that wasn't included in the article due to space and links directly to other articles that fully explore the stories of Cynthia and Stephanie.
For my part, in addition to talking about my friend who committed suicide while serving his third tour in Iraq (yes, I haven't put that part in my blog yet, but will share more on that soon) I told the DOD Task Force that American citizens pay taxes and expect our veterans to be cared for upon their return.
VMFP will be encouraging everyone to contact their Representatives and Senators to make sure the recommendations of this task force aren't just so many words, but funded and delivered.
I will be keeping and eye on the recommendations this task force makes to the NEW Secretary of Defense in May:
The Mental Health Task Force, comprised of seven DoD members and seven non-DoD members, will submit a report to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in May 2007. It will include an assessment of, and recommendations for improving the efficacy of mental health services provided to service members by DoD. The first of many business meetings is set for mid-July 2006.